


A Familiar Beginning

by OceanHeart23



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina - Sarah Rees Brennan
Genre: Established Relationship, Multi, Protective Sabrina, Salem being familiar MVP
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:27:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29389806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanHeart23/pseuds/OceanHeart23
Summary: Salem chose Sabrina and was content with being her familiar. The fools that came with her he was less so. He supposed he would have to learn to adapt to them.
Relationships: Harvey Kinkle & Sabrina Spellman & Nicholas Scratch, Harvey Kinkle/Nicholas Scratch/Sabrina Spellman
Kudos: 16





	A Familiar Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is my first I'm going to call them Harbrinick story kinda just set in an AU spinning off of season 1 where from the two natures talk eventually lead here.  
> Warnings: There is the occasional swear word. Also this story is unbeta'd so future apologies for any grammatical mistakes.  
> Disclaimer: I do not own Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and make no money from writing this.

Salem knew when there was a summoning spell first sent out, that he would answer it and share a different type of relationship with the witch that had cast it. Not one of master and servant. No this was someone he wanted to work with. A true partner and equal. 

Sabrina Spellmen was someone who inspires loyalty, especially his. She saw him as a friend and not a thing to be kept on a leash. Therefore in return he would offer his protection to keep her safe and do his best to assist her, whenever she needed his help. She promised him that he could always expect the same from her. 

Unfortunately this meant also being asked to look after two utterly undeserving fools he coined as the brat and the idiot. Salem really wished she would take him up on his suggestion for them to embrace splendid solitude and live together in a hut in the forest leaving the other two behind. Alas Sabrina would still not see reason on this.

While they both had few redeeming features in Salem's eyes, at least the idiot had nice gentle hands if little else. The warlock was a rude and disrespectful brat treating Salem as if he were the enemy. The outrage! He was lucky to be in Sabrina's favor or else his head would be in a different place entirely.

Though Salem supposed one thing he had going for him is he seemed to require less protection. At least Sabrina seemed to think so. She had him followed less.

At the moment the arrangement was this. He would accompany Sabrina most of the time as usual. However if one of the other two was going to be alone, and Salem felt assured of her safety. Per her wishes he would watch over the unoccupied one. Her fears weren't unfounded, since just a few weeks ago someone still undiscovered had tried to kill the mortal. It caused Sabrina to up her protection spells on all her friends.

Currently he was following the idiot home from one of his shifts in the mines. Now that the mortal knew Sabrina was a witch he was also appraised that Salem was her familiar. However he still couldn't understand him. So now they had upgraded from dumb pet talk to the mortal holding one sided conversations and asking rhetorical questions. Salem wasn't so sure this was much better, but either way he could mock with the other party being none the wiser. That was always entertaining at least when not in earshot of Sabrina or the brat.

When they reached the truck it ended the idle prattling. Thank his goblin brethren. The boy leaned down, so he was crouching over Salem as small as he could.

“Hey I appreciate you keeping me company, but I'm sure you want to be getting back to Sabrina. You can tell her she doesn't have to always send you after me. I'm sure she needs you too.”

'Ha she does and he wished Sabrina would listen to him. But ever since the second attack Sabrina had told him she wasn't taking any chances that there would be a third attempt.

In answer Salem climbed on his front paws leaning them against the truck to indicate he wanted in. He could have shifted inside, but the mortal had seen his real form before and been terrified. He had been asked to avoid a repeat incident.

“You really want to come home with me?” He asked softly, finally opening the door.

“No but I have no choice so let's go to your sad house where you may feed me and give me the petting I so richly deserve for doing this.” Neatly hopping in and curling up in the passenger seat Harvey smiled as if Salem had said something nice. Salem almost wished he could tell him that this never happened. 

Most nights when the idiot wasn't visiting Sabrina the brat would drop by unannounced either wanting to be fed as well or trying to accost Salem's eyes with horrible displays. It was lucky for him that the mortal wasn't into doing anything in front of an audience and counted Salem as such. 

The brat of course never took this well and hissed rude things in an attempt to get Salem to leave. More often than not it was too satisfying to stay just to see the brat thwarted completely and scolded for being rude to Salem. For tonight he knew they'd be alone, because Sabrina and the brat were tracking down a lead at the academy.

“Huh guess dad made me some coffee before he left.” That set off warning bells and before he could prevent it Harvey took a large swig from a plain blue mug that was brim full and still steaming. Salem hopped up and rammed the coffee maker over the edge causing Harvey to startle and drop the mug where it shattered to the ground. The entire floor was littered with glass shards and coffee. 

“Salem why did you just do that?” He mourned looking like he was too seconds away from saying bad kitty.

“Think about what you just said. How are you not questioning the oddness of your father being nice? I just did what you should have done. You're welcome.” 

He couldn't say for sure that the coffee was poisoned, but he had really good instincts, ones that had saved his partner a few times before. If he was wrong he was sure she would get him a new one. And for a while it seemed that he may have been wrong. Harvey cleaned up the kitchen taking care to put all of the shards in the trash and mopped up the floors so that all of the coffee was removed and cleaned away as well. The mortal started in on dinner, and that was where Salem noticed something was wrong.

He was starting to sweat quite a bit and turning paler by the minute taking to wiping his brow more and more. Then the swaying began happening where the mortal took to gripping the counters and shaking his head as if to focus. He turned to grab something and appeared to be hit with a vertigo wave that without warning brought him straight to the floor. Salem was already right in front of him taking note of the way he was now struggling to take in air. He meowed at him.

“Salem somethings wrong. I- I can't breathe.”

He didn't need to say anything more as Salem was already out the door. Using his advanced speed he made straight for the academy and to his partner to notify her of this latest emergency. Sabrina and the brat teleported Harvey back to the mortuary to be treated to a diagnostic spell and antidote. 

Harvey spent the night resting and recovering between two witches and one familiar. Sabrina was most proud and grateful for him telling him what a good boy he was cuddling him throughout the entire night. (The only one he would tolerate baby talk from) The mortal also murmured his thanks among his few bouts of consciousness before falling back asleep often stroking softly along his fur as if enforcing the words. Even the brat surprisingly thanked him.

With this being the third attempt on his life Sabrina was able to reason with Harvey that until whoever was doing this was caught. He would never be left alone. It was a tricky battle as the mortal didn't particularly want round the clock protection and to leave his father alone and unprotected as well. So Sabrina agreed to cast protection spells on the house, and if Harvey did stay at the house someone would be there to keep watch. 

Since he knew Sabrina and the idiot were at one of their WICCA meetings, he felt it was time to drop in on the brat. Salem found him at the Spellmen residence where he lay prone on the floor in Sabrina's room surrounded by candles likely astral-projecting.

Normally when one did this it was in the presence of another witch to keep watch. However Salem had always known that the brat was confident in his talents and often astral-projected alone. So he left him to it and leaped up onto Sabrina's bed to curl up for a potential cat nap. That was until he heard choking sounds coming from below him. The brat was reacting exactly as Sabrina had several months ago when dealing with the demon and exorcism fiasco.

He dashed off to find the closest available assistance, which turned out to be Ambrose, as he contemplated changing the warlock's nickname to idiot 2. This was one of the times they seemed to be on the same level. 

As Ambrose cast his spell causing the brat to spring forward gasping Salem curled in front of him making sure he was in his line of sight.

“You alright there mate?” Ambrose inquired, patting his shoulder. Nick took steady breaths before pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Yeah just ran into something unexpected, when working out a lead.” He turned to peer over his shoulder. “Good thing I decided to do this here so you were here.”

Ambrose looked amused. “Good thing Salem was here actually or else I would have never known what was happening.” Nick followed his line of sight to the black cat innocently licking his paw.

“Go ahead and give me your undying gratitude. I'll wait for it. You're clear ineptness should be noted.”

“Sweet Satan I was better off dying.” The brat grumbled clearly unhappy to be in Salem's debt. Ambrose just laughed and patted Nick's shoulder one last time before departing. 

“Would you prefer for me to tell Sabrina that you refuse to give me a simple thank you?”

The warlock glared at him for a few moments before getting out the two words between gritted teeth. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Salem asked, intending to draw this out licking his raised paw.

The warlock threw him a tight smirk. “For being an overbearing meddler.”

Salem paused in his licking to give the brat a look. “Yes you're right next time I should let you die.”

The brat chuckled to himself. “If it wouldn't make Spellmen and the mortal sad, I'm sure you'd do it too.”

Jumping back to his original idea to take a nap Salem answered. “Without hesitation.”

They had nearly caught the assassin, when Nick and Harvey managed to get taken and locked in a demonic freezer. This was one of the few times, where Sabrina didn't even have to tell Salem to check in on them. He felt he was beginning to develop a sense for these two. He was calling it his idiot sense. Locating them took work and threats of violence but it paid off as he stood in front of the freezer door before shifting to open it. He watched the two nearly blue and barely shivering look up at him standing in the doorway. The idiot looked happy to see him at least.

“Nice work Salem! Good job we owe you one.” 'Ha! The brat's face at that. The mortal moved to pick him up and get out of there. The brat merely let out an aggrieved sigh, half-hearted thanks before moving to cast warming spells over him and Harvey, so they no longer appeared half frozen.

“Let's get out of here. I don't want to see or think about ice cream for the next year.” Holding out his hand for Harvey to take. Harvey grabbed it, keeping a tight hold on Salem, and the three reappeared in the woods in front of Sabrina's house. The mortal gave him one last blissful ear skritches before gently setting him down. The brat was giving him another distasteful look that he hissed at.

“I can't tell if you really don't like cats or just don't like Salem.” Harvey questioned hands in his pocket smiling down as Salem nuzzled his leg before the two began to walk the trail to Sabrina's house with Nick moving to catch up.

“You know he insults us right? Like constantly.”

“And how is that any different from what you do to me?” Harvey retorted eyebrows raised.

Nick put a hand on his heart speaking with a faux shocked expression. “Harry I'm wounded! I'd never. I'm a gentleman at all times.”

“Pretty sure that's not true and if someone told you that they were obviously wrong.”

“Is that so?” Nick said with a smile and slight suggestion in his voice. “Well I guess I'll have to prove you wrong tonight.”

They finally approached the house to see Sabrina perched on top of the outside railing grinning at them. “Hark my other halves are finally here. Hi guys!” Jumping into Harvey's arms who briefly panicked fearing he wouldn't catch her in time. To his fortune he thankfully did and called back to her. “Hey Brina.”

“Hey Spellmen.”

She gave Harvey a quick kiss before he set her as carefully on her feet, as he had Salem. She appeared to be almost vibrating with energy. Clearly she had big news to share. “So now that you're both here I can finally tell you we caught the assassin!”

“Really?” Harvey asked in surprise, while Nick's eyebrows turned down. 

“Who was it.”

Sabrina's mouth twisted and her excitement faded completely. “Luke. We caught him with one of our latest traps. Ambrose told me I can deal with him however I see fit as soon as soon as the interrogation is done. I'm still thinking about it.”

“Hate that guy,” Nick said to himself, while Salem pictured finally being allowed to eat someone or at least tear their head off. Harvey just looked perturbed.

“Do you know why he was so determined to kill me or is it just due to being a witch-hunter?”

Sabrina looked at him sympathetically. “Unfortunately we're pretty sure it's the latter. Some witches still operate under the whole 'we need to kill them before they kill us operand-um.” 

Before the mood could descend backwards to a somber note Nick clapped his hands together. “I think we should celebrate. Harry's no longer in danger, Ambrose is no longer lowering himself by dating below his league, and I have learned a new spell. So good news all around.” He bowed before Sabrina and offered his hand. “May I have this dance?” Sabrina giggled before turning on the record player inside. She then took his hand and let him twirl her before moving to lead as she always did.

Salem watched as Harvey smiled at the two of them before moving to take the place where Sabrina had been sitting next to Salem. He watched as the brat danced with his partner before telling the idiot his turn was up next which was rejected in favor of staying and watching with Salem who had now moved to his lap. Salem began purring as the petting began building up to a good rhythm. He may have chosen Sabrina, but the tag-alongs he didn't. However it might not be as bad as he once thought only time would really tell.


End file.
